7.19.2016

I’m feeling a little frustrated over
this malarkey.I try to keep silent
about it, personally, but when asked, I try to give my opinions in ways that
those who think differently will clearly understand without getting
passionately defiant.Since I can’t
guarantee that happening… I usually just stay quiet.I actually think it’s more of my job in
society to do that, anyway.Racially-speaking, I’m in the majority demographic.I am not being hurt by people’s actions who
are advocating over whose “lives matter”.I am not being targeted by anyone, frankly.So, the best thing I can do… is just listen.

But I am a white, cis male.And I 100% support #Black Lives Matter.

Now, if you’re the kind of person
that wants to step up and immediately say, “ALL lives matter!”Guess what?You’re a fucking moron.Shut up
and listen to someone other than yourself.If you want to know why you’re a moron… pay attention, because this will
apply to you.

But the reason I’m writing this, is
that one my absolute best friends in the world, posted a picture of a police
officer, sitting in his car, with sunglasses on, and that stoic, stone-faced
expression that all cops seem to be taught to give an air of intimidation and
authority. (I really believe that is taught, and now it’s reflex that they
always look like that.)But he was
holding up a small sign that says “Police Lives Matter”.

The more popular expression has been
“Blue Lives Matter”, but we all know it’s the same damn thing.In the last week, there have been some
shootings in Dallas and Baton Rouge, in particular, that have been targeting police
officers.Now, the Black Lives Matter
movement is being countered with “Blue Lives Matter” and the continuing “All
Lives Matter”.

Now, I don’t want to say anything to
this person, one of my absolute best friends in the world, about the folly of
this argument.Because they have police
officers in their family.They
personally know the whole town police force, and consider them close
friends.To hear that police officers
are being attacked is a scary thing, because it sounds like these people are
coming after their loved ones, their good friends… maybe even them.So to start to disagree with them on that, by
instinct all they hear in their head is, “Blue lives DON’T matter?You want my friends to die, you want my
family to die?You want my FATHER to
die???”

Of course, that is not the
case.I know their father, and he’s a
sweet guy… his stories of his young days on the force (in this small, New
England town) are hilarious to hear.He’s
caring, he’s personable, he’s funny, and I’m proud to know him, and have been
proud to help the family in the ways I’ve been able to over the years.Even if I didn’t know him, or any of them… I
don’t want anyone to die.Life is a
beautiful thing, the loss of it in any form is a tragic thing.

Yes, it’s because “all lives matter”.That’s fucking obvious.No one would dare say otherwise, if you asked
them in sober, polite company, if you asked them on record, or if you asked
them on TV.

But that’s not what “Black Live
Matter” is about.And it certainly isn’t
what "Blue Lives Matter" is about.

Let’s look at some statistics.According to the National Law Enforcement
Memorial Fund, this is the number of on-duty deaths in the 21st Century:

This is ALL deaths.Including accidents and illnesses.You’ll notice that 2001 had a big jump.Most likely due to New York.If you need reminding what happened in NY in 2001,
you shouldn’t be reading this blog.

During the Reagan years, an average
of 101 officers per year lost their lives this way.During the H.W. Bush years, it was 90 per
year.During Clinton, 81.George W. Bush, 72 per year.And during Obama’s administration?The one in the here and now?62 officers per year.Police officers are safer now than they were
in 1980.

Now keep in mind these numbers…
because in 2008 (the most recent number I could find for this), there were about
1.13 MILLION police officers in the United States.1.13 million officers… and only 62 died by
outside violence?A tragedy for 62
families, but a dream for the bureau of labor statistics.

This year, surely will see a rise in
the numbers… so next January, when you hear that 2016 has a 30% (or whatever) rise
in police fatalities due to shooting… that sounds like a big jump.But not when you’re dealing with such low
numbers in the first place.One mass
televised incident will account for at least 10%, alone.

There is no reason for cops to be
afraid.It only sounds like it because
we’re hearing about these particular incidents more.Information
now spreads faster than the weather… it crosses the country faster than the
speed of sound… so shootings are only being reported on the news, more. Does this mean Blue Lives don’t matter?Of course not.62 deaths is still 62 tragedies.62 weeping families, and 62 special interest
stories on the local news.

But why… when it is safer than any
other point in modern history to be a police officer, are they JUST NOW saying “Blue
Lives Matter”.Why not say it in
1980?

They’re saying it BECAUSE of “Black
Lives Matter”.

And this is what gets to the
confusion over what that actually means.So, to try and help clear it up for those that don’t know… I ask a
question.

“Who is your audience?”

I
ask this same question of my students, often, when I teach Composition, where
the ultimate project is write an argumentative paper and defend their assertion
on whatever subject they’re writing about.

Who
are you trying to say this to?Who are
you trying to get the message to?Who
are you trying to convince of this argument?Because who you are talking to makes a difference in how you say it, and
what you say.

You can’t say, “Everyone!”Because that means nothing.You have to be specific, or you’re just
shouting to the air.You have to have a
purpose in what you say, or it will never be heard by those who do need to hear
it.

So, who does not seem to understand
that “Blue Lives Matter”?I couldn’t
really tell you.Psychopathic criminals,
I guess, but they were going to think that no matter what your tagline is.

Who does not understand the idea
that “All Lives Matter?”Those who are openly racist, certainly.But again, they already thought that, and yet
still wouldn’t be dumb enough to say it on TV.

Who is the audience for “Black Lives
Matter”?Well, that’s an easier answer:

The Judicial and Law Enforcement Systems
of the United States.

That is the audience that has
clearly demonstrated, over many decades of history in this country, that it is
a little fuzzy on that concept.Black
Americans are 13% of the population, but they account for over 26% of people
killed by police.That is a statistic
that brings up a lot of other questions for another time, certainly.But Blacks are also far more likely to be
convicted for a crime than whites.

It is the system as a whole that
needs this message.The reason we’re all
seeing it on the news, is because to get the message to the whole system, you
have to say it loud and visibly enough so that everyone that is encompassed
under that system will end up hearing it, too.

Does the Judicial and Law
Enforcement systems of America believe that “Blue Lives” don’t matter?Of course not.If a gunman kills 3 people, and goes to trial…
he’ll get his 90 years in prison, or whatever.But if one of those victims was a cop?200 years in prison, throw him in maximum security, no chance of parole,
and send him to hell!“Cop Killers” get
a special breed of treatment in the system, because the whole police system “looks
out for their own”.

It is abundantly clear, to the entire
Judicial and Law Enforcement System, that Blue Lives Matter.Frankly, they seem to matter more than
most.Do you want proof that Blue Lives
Matter?

The ones who killed the cops in
Baton Rouge and Dallas… are dead.They
were dealt swift justice, and the perpetrator was taken down.

The cops that killed Eric Garner,
the man who had his hands up, had no weapons, was not resisting, and put in a
chokehold… is audibly heard saying, “I can’t breathe”, and they continue their
assault.This was on video, clear as
crystal, plain as day.

But when it came time to prosecute…
the District Attorney that was “trying” (note the quotes) to do so… wasn’t able
to get an indictment.

Wasn’t. Able.On video tape, that the world has seen.

Now, I listened to many legal
pundits in the aftermath talk about their surprise at that.They all mentioned, very clearly, that if a
district attorney really wants an indictment (which is not a verdict… just
means it actually goes to trial), then they will, indeed GET an
indictment.So, the only reason this
D.A. didn’t get an indictment, is because he didn’t want to.

There’s
a reason that people are angry.And they
have every right to be.They’re also
fucking terrified.Again, because they
have every right to be.

Now, yes… the bad cops that killed
those people are not reflective of every police officer.That would be silly to suggest.But what doesn’t help is that the “good” cops
in the world, are not calling the bad ones out.As a teacher, if I hear about another teacher doing something bad… like
sleeping with a student, or getting them kicked out for stupid, arbitrary
reasons… I will absolutely say, “That’s a bad teacher.”If they’re in my school, and my feedback can,
in any way, have an impact… I will do what I can, to get that teacher fired,
because I do not want such a horrible person in my school.

But cops will not call out their
own.They will not say, “yes, they
murdered those people”.They won’t ever
say, “they need to be taken off the force, and thrown in prison for life.”No, it’s always excuses:“Well, there’s angles you can’t see…”, “It’s
tough to say, because in the heat of the moment…”, “Well, we weren’t actually
there, so we don’t know what really happened…”

Bullshit.We see exactly what happened.These instances are ON VIDEO.And not some fuzzy VHS image from across a
dark highway a la Rodney King.These are
full HD, up close videos.Those people
were murdered.If another police officer
can’t stop and at least say, “Yeah, this doesn’t look good”… then it’s not
exactly surprising that people will think THAT police officer is a bad one,
too.Because they show no desire to get
rid of the bad elements in their force.

When people make generalizations
that “all cops are bad”… yes, it is erroneous, but it’s perfectly
understandable why they think so.It’s
because the good ones are doing nothing to stop the bad ones. The Blue Lives clearly believe they are more important than Black
Lives.

So, when you hear “Black Lives
Matter”, and jump up to say “ALL lives matter” or “Blue Lives Matter!”All you’re really doing is engaging in a
silencing technique.You are trying to
usurp the conversation.You are
minimizing what our Black Americans have to deal with every day in this
country, just because you don’t want to hear about it.You’re not actually being “better” by saying “All
lives matter”, or “Blue Lives Matter”, you’re just being a bully.You’re just ignoring what is actually
happening, and you are perpetrating the violence and bigotry that has been going on for decades.

And you are exactly the person that
should be hearing the message of “Black Lives Matter”.

About Me

Just another blogger. (Such a silly word... "blogger") This is meant to be an Anonymous blog... so you can make your comments as raw as you want, and don't feel pressured to leave your real name. But at least be coherent. I moderate the comments before their posted, and I've only deleted one in the past... it simply said, "You're an idiot." Which I'm fine with. I could care less... if that's your opinion, rock on... But you have to tell me WHY I'm an idiot. Back up what you say... otherwise the freedom of anonymity is simply used so you can be a coward. So nyah, ya boogerhead! :D

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